Getting a link into the description of a user group

[Gladius]

Any way to do it? Why the heck isn't BB code allowed in descriptions?

[Jake Bunce]

You should be able to use HTML code:

<a href="http://www.link.com/">text</a>

[Gladius]

Nope, it doesn't work... the code displays as plain text. it would be quite odd if it did, because if BB code isn't allowed, HTML should be even less so.

This is on a 3.8.1 board though - any changes to this since then by any chance?

Edit: just noticed I made an error in the title, it should be SOCIAL group, not user group...

[Jake Bunce]

Some relevant settings:

Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Social Group Options -> Allowed BB Code Tags in Social Group Messages

Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> BB Code Settings -> Allow *** in Non Forum Specific Areas

If those don't work then I don't see any other option to enable BB code / HTML in that area.

[Gladius]

I've got BB code enabled via both of those settings, but that only works inside the groups unfortunately... it doesn't work for the description text of social groups.

Anyway, I looked at the table structure and the descriptions are stored as regular text, so I assume I'd need to change the table type for them to accept BB code (wouldn't want to allow HTML). Can you or someone on the team please give me the instructions on what exactly to change and what to make the descriptions accept BB code, if that's possible? If it is as simple as making a few changes directly in the database, that is...

[cellarius]

It's most certainly not that simple, I'm afraid. You would need a plugin (if there's a hook) or patch the file to hook the bbcode-parser in. It's not a question of table type. You need to run the text through the parser.

[Gladius]

Damn... so there isn't any simple way to get a link into the description, even with directly editing the database?

[cellarius]

Right. The database has nothing to do with how it will be parsed later. For the db, BBCodes are just text, like everything else. It's only later, when the page is prepared for display, that the bbcode parser of the software recognizes the bbcodes and handles them accordingly. But for this, the parser has to be hooked in.

Anyway: I seem to remember a mod over at .org that allows for this... hm, on second thought: probably for the group descriptions only. You want title, right?

[Gladius]

Thanks for the info, makes sense...

Nope, I just need to be able to put some instructions into some of the social group descriptions, but need to link to the info externally as there's too much to put in the description... thanks for the tip - I searched on .org but came up empty a few days ago, but then on digging a bit deeper, I found just what I need: http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=209660

Like the guy there said, here's hoping Jelsoft adds this in so we don't have to hack it in - it's really something so basic that it needs to be included.

Thanks!